160 THE DESERT AND THE ROSE 



teen to eighteen eggs per diem from twenty hens 

 and that in our coldest winter months — then went 

 away and bought them a couple of hundred fowls 

 of two or three breeds, mixed them all together, 

 never segregated young and old — a vital necessity 

 usually overlooked — kept no hours for feeding, let 

 them roost out or leave the houses early on cold 

 winter mornings without breakfast, and so forth, 

 and then complained to me that my forty odd hens 

 (the greatest number I ever kept, as quality not 

 quantity was my object) supplied the family, the 

 markets and the fanciers, whilst their innumerable 

 hens produced eggs insufficient for the home table. 

 Such people one cannot help, as I have learned by 

 bitter experience. Mental application rather than 

 toilsome labor, regularity, keen eyes — all these 

 things and more are necessary if success is desired. 

 The actual work cannot be called exercise when 

 other ranch work receives its full meed of attention 

 also ; furthermore every ranch must keep a boy, who 

 can clean the hen-houses and carry fresh water with- 

 out interference with his regular duties. In five and 

 one half years I lost one chick from disease. The 

 only disease which visited the grown birds was 

 roup, the first time contracted at a show. With the 

 help of one of the ex-fanciers afore mentioned I 

 contrived to save all my valuable pullets ; but it was 

 hard, and often night, work. The second time a 

 splendid Minorca rooster — for of course the ever 

 risky hour in which one must buy new stock ar- 

 rived — was the guilty party. He came from one of 

 the famous eastern breeders, but had evidently had 



